ASICS Dresses the GEL-KAYANO 12.1 in “Edamame Green”

A metallic-armor upper meets GEL-NIMBUS 17 tooling as ASICS’ Y2K hybrid runner lands in a soybean-hued green and black finish for 2026.

recall

• Release Overview
• Upper Construction and Colorway Breakdown
• Midsole and Cushioning Technology
• Where the 12.1 Sits in the Kayano Story
• Pricing and Where to Buy
• Fin

ASICS has added another colorway to its GEL-KAYANO 12.1 rotation, this time dressing the hybrid runner in “Edamame Green,” officially catalogued under style code 1203A759-301. The pair lands in an Edamame Green and Black finish that leans into the earthier, more muted end of the model’s palette compared to past metallic or Knicks-inspired treatments.

The GEL-KAYANO 12.1 has become one of the more talked-about Sportstyle sil on the ASICS lineup, largely because of the design lineage it carries. The model reworks the original GEL-KAYANO 12 from 2006, a runner that first exists as one of the brand’s more forgotten archival entries, and grafts on tooling borrowed from the GEL-NIMBUS 17. That combination has already appeared across a handful of colorways this year, and “Edamame Green” is the latest to move into general retail distribution across European stockists rather than being tied to a single exclusive drop.

The latest ASICS GEL-KAYANO pairs metallic silver overlays with vibrant teal mesh, visible GEL cushioning, and signature stability-focused construction in a modern performance-inspired colorway.

flow

The upper design draws from an unusual reference point for a running shoe: European armor and its layered, plated structure, translated here through metallic-look synthetic overlays set against an open mesh base. On “Edamame Green,” that armor-inspired paneling appears in the namesake green tone, offset by bold black side stripes and underlays that run the length of the shoe.

The mesh underlay allows for breathability while the synthetic overlays add the structural rigidity and visual texture that has defined the 12.1 since its introduction. Branding stays fairly restrained, consistent with how ASICS has treated the model’s tongue and heel tab detailing on prior releases, letting the two-tone colorway do most of the talking.

tech

Underfoot, the GEL-KAYANO 12.1 keeps its now-familiar hybrid setup. Dual GEL inserts sit at the heel and forefoot for shock absorption, while a FLUIDRIDE cushioning structure handles the responsiveness layer above the outsole. The tooling itself is borrowed wholesale from the GEL-NIMBUS 17, giving the 12.1 a chunkier, more performance-driven base than the slimmer original GEL-KAYANO 12 ever had.

That mix of a 2006 upper silhouette and 2017-era running tech is the core hook of the entire 12.1 project, and it’s part of why the model has found an audience well beyond ASICS’ running-focused customer base and into general Sportstyle and streetwear territory.

huh

The GEL-KAYANO 12.1 project has close ties to Kith founder Ronnie Fieg, whose earlier collaborative work on the silhouette helped bring the model back into circulation before it moved into wider ASICS release. Fieg’s collaborative pairs, including a two-pack that arrived through Kith in mid-2024 and a “Light Sage” follow-up later that year, established the hybrid GEL-KAYANO 12.1 formula of an archival upper paired with GEL-NIMBUS 17 tooling that this “Edamame Green” pair also uses.

It’s worth noting that “Edamame Green,” under style code 1203A759-301, sits in a different numbering family from Kith’s own exclusive GEL-KAYANO 12.1 releases, which have run under the 1203A555 code and, most recently, a trio of Kith Loyalty Program colorways launched through the Kith app in January 2026. That distinction points to “Edamame Green” being a standard ASICS Sportstyle release rather than a Kith-exclusive drop, even though it shares the same silhouette DNA that Fieg helped popularize.

straddle

“Edamame Green” has already surfaced at a handful of European sneaker retailers. Sweden’s Shelta lists the pair in men’s sizing with in-stock availability online and in-store. Copenhagen-based Rezet Store carries the release in women’s sizing, noting the shoe runs small and suggesting buyers size up roughly half a size from their usual fit. In the UK, Sportshowroom has the pair listed at £170 across a full men’s and women’s size run, positioning it alongside other current GEL-KAYANO 12.1 colorways like “Piedmont Grey & Gravel” and “Silver & Green.”

No single global launch date or unified retail price has been confirmed at the time of writing, and US availability through ASICS’ own channels has not yet been verified, which tracks with how the 12.1 has typically rolled out in staggered waves across regional retailers rather than a single worldwide drop.

hint

“Edamame Green” is a shh entry in the GEL-KAYANO 12.1 story, trading the brighter or collaboration-driven tincture schemes of past releases for a more wear, everyday green and black combination. With the model’s archival upper and GEL-NIMBUS 17 tooling combo now well established, colorway rollouts like this one suggest ASICS is treating the 12.1 as a genuine ongoing Sportstyle platform rather than a one-off nostalgia.